OCS Class Beginning 1-30-11 - My Son is in this Class - Anyone Else?

[Tina-Nick's Mom]

My son Nick will begin OCS on January 30, 2011.  Does anyone else have a LO beginning OCS on that date? 

[violet]

My daughter Rachel is in that class as well. She will be a Surface Warfare Officer. We live in PA so we will be driving up a couple days early so that we can have her all to ourselves before we drop her off Sunday morning. Where are you all from and what type of work will your son Nick be doing when he graduates? Violet

[Tina-Nick's Mom]

Violet - We have lived in South Carolina for 5 years, but are originally from northeast Ohio (halfway between Cleveland and Pittsburgh). Nick will be in the NUPOC (Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate) program and plans to be a Nuclear Submarine Officer. He graduates from Clemson University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering on December 16.

Does Rachel plan to have a car at OCS? Nick does not want to take his car, but he has been hearing that they are encouraged to have a car in the parking lot to use to store clothing and other items. His recruiter indicated they would pay for his flight there, but encouraged him to drive so that he would have his car. Tina

[violet]

Tina, Rachel graduated from PACE university in NYC a year and a half ago. She has a degree in Finance, a minor in French and a minor in Middle Eastern Studies. Currently, she is working at Dreyfus in Manhattan. She still lives in Queens. Believe it or not she has never had a car and I don't believe she has driven at all in the past two years. Now that I know this, I feel kind of bad about her not being able to store her stuff. I told her that we would mail it to her or have it delivered when she was allowed to have it. I guess I better check with her recruiter.

Congratulations on Nicks coming graduation. He must be a very smart young man to have made Nuc. When did Nick decide he wanted to go into the Navy?

[violet]

BTW, My little thumbprint photo is Rachel taking her oath. I love her to pieces.

[Tina-Nick's Mom]

Violet - Rachel certainly has an impressive background! She is a lovely young lady.

Thank you for your kind words about Nick. He worked in a co-op position in a manufacturing environment for a national company during college and determined manufacturing was just not him. He only decided about six months ago to pursue the NUPOC program.

Don't worry about the car situation. Nick really does not want to take his car, mostly because it is an 11-12 hour drive to OCS from South Carolina, and he has definitely decided against it. Since it is not a requirement to take a car, I'm thinking it's OK if you don't. Nick is going to check into this to be sure, and I'll let you know what he learns.

Like you, I'm a parent of only one child, and we are extremely close. The Navy would not have been the path I would have personally chosen for Nick, but the more I am learning about the NUPOC program, the more I am convinced that it is a wonderful opportunity for someone with his background and interests.

[violet]

Tina, Thanks for you kind words about Rachel. She is a little spitfire. LOL
I have been trying to keep my only child out of the service for five years now. She still has a hard time dealing with me not letting her into NROTC in her Freshman year. If I had, the Navy would have paid for her education, or at least a good part of it, and she would not be going to OCS. She has a tremendous amount of academic debt. I should have known better. Once Rachel gets something in her head, she can quietly wait it out for years if she has to. Since she is an adult now, there is little I can do beyond give her advice. After I found out that she was going in, I cried bitterly for a month. In part because we talk at least once a day, if not three times. NYC is so close by here that in two hours we could be up there to take Rachel out to dinner. The truth be known, Rachel and the Navy are a perfect fit. As for me, I have had to give it all over to the Lord, I know He has a plan for her. I try not to let my imagination get a hold of me.

[Tina-Nick's Mom]

Violet - I know what you mean about the Navy paying for college for those who sign up early. If Nick would have signed up for the NUPOC program as a sophomore, he would have received enough funding from the Navy to pay for his tuition and living expenses, without even having to do anything until after his college graduation! I doubt he even knew anything about NUPOC when he was a sophomore, likely because he ignored any communications he may have received from Clemson's engineering department about it. The father of one of his college friends has had a career in the Navy, and after talking to him about the NUPOC program about six months ago, Nick became very interested and decided to pursue this type of career.

I think just the idea of my child being in the military when we are in the midst of war is what is scary to me. I also don't like the idea of him being out of touch for so long. After he finishes OCS, he'll be close to home (in Charleston, SC--about 2 hours away) for 24 or 26 weeks, so that part will be nice. However, I know that once he's on a submarine, I won't hear from him for long periods of time.

I also have concern that the Navy may harden him a little too much. Nick has a really fun and lighthearted personality, and I don't want him to lose that. I agree with you that we, as parents, need to put all of this in God's hands. I'm trying, but it isn't always easy! - Tina

[violet]

Tina, I completely understand the those scary feelings. I don't think that the Navy will take the fun out of Nick, but as you say you don't want him to be hardened. I do think that our children will not be the same people after OCS. While Rachel is a pretty responsible young woman, I believe what the other mothers say about their LO's being very respectful when they get back. I don't know what that means for Rachel since she is already fairly respectful. I am concerned that Rachel will become so self-disciplined/careful that all the spontaneity will go out of her, and that she will start measuring all that she says and does.

Will Nick be sworn in when he graduates or has that already occured? - Violet

[Tina-Nick's Mom]

Violet - Becoming more respectful may apply more to kids who were not all that respectful to begin with. Nick has always been respectful (at least most of the time!), so I don't know what that means for him either.

Nick was sworn in after he met with Admiral Kirkland Donald in Washington, DC on October 7. Admiral Donald is the director of the Nuclear Propulsion Program and personally selects all NUPOC participants after meeting them one-on-one. I knew in advance that Nick would be sworn in during his Washington visit if he was selected, but I still felt a little sick when he called to say he had done so. Tina

[violet]

Tina - Wow! an Admiral. Nonetheless, I am sure that you would have liked to have been there for that. Did anyone take pictures of Nick as he was taking his oath?

I have to say that everyone we met at the office on Long Island was absolutely wonderful, and very warm. They were very deferential when it came to answering our fears and concerns. So I have been better since I met them. Sometimes our fears make it harder. I feel that Navy officers are a certain type of person. I am a more fearful person, while my daughter is very nearly fearless. She is always game for adventure.

[JudyM]

Great. I will join you and Violet in Moms of Officers. My son is Jesse and we are from CA. Judy M

[JudyM]

Violet and Tina, nice reading your discussion so far. My son, Jesse, just graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a double major of physics and aerospace engineering. He has been accepted into the aviator program. He has not been sworn in yet. Not sure he has that date yet. He only received his OCS orders last week. RI is a long way from California. He is trying to decide whether to take his car.